Can you identify repetitive tasks in your agency that can be automated, delegated, or eliminated? When done correctly, automation can help you overcome overwhelm and scale your businesses effectively.

In this episode of The Agency Blueprint, I’m joined by William Christensen to discuss the importance of automation, delegation, and elimination in scaling creative agencies. Will is the founder of Entrepreneurs Apprentice and the co-founder of Data Automation. He is known for his automate, delegate, eliminate framework and unique 15-1-1-5 rule, which identifies key tasks to automate or delegate. He is also a Zapier-certified expert with deep expertise and workflow optimization.

Listen in to learn the importance of niching down to create a scalable, automatable business model. You will also learn the value of mentorship programs and mastermind communities in providing guidance and accountability to overwhelmed agency owners.

Key Questions:

• [02:16] What are some of the biggest mistakes creatives or business owners make when trying to grow their businesses?
• [14:59] How can creative agency owners embrace systems and structure without losing their sense of creative freedom?
• [17:03] What strategies can help agency owners stay updated with the latest technology and automation trends?
• [21:38] What steps should an overwhelmed agency owner take to start automating and systemizing their business?

What You’ll Discover:

• [00:56] How Will’s early experiences with Zapier shaped his approach to automation and business scaling.
• [02:42] Why niching down is the first step to creating a scalable, automatable business model.
• [05:46] The 15-1-1-5 rule, a framework for identifying tasks that should be automated, delegated, or eliminated.
• [07:26] The adrenaline-junkie tendencies of creative entrepreneurs and how to channel that energy into scalable growth.
• [08:55] Will’s tactical approach to handling out-of-scope projects by charging a project deposit and providing a detailed blueprint.
• [11:46] How to evaluate whether a project aligns with your agency’s core expertise and contributes to long-term growth.
• [13:06] Why performing a task manually five times is crucial before automating or delegating it.
• [15:17] How creating a structured "black box" business model can provide true freedom and allow for more creative exploration.
• [17:34] How to stay updated with the latest technology trends by following content creators and platforms.
• [22:09] Why hiring a counterpart for sales or fulfilment is a critical first step for scaling your agency.
• [22:59] The transformative power of mentorship and mastermind groups in providing accountability and fresh perspectives.
• [26:22] The profound impact of community and mentorship on personal and professional growth.
• [27:23] Why niching down and standardizing sales processes are essential before delegating sales or fulfilment roles.

What strategies for increasing profitability can you utilize without raising rates? While raising rates is a straightforward way to boost margins, it’s not always feasible due to market limitations or client resistance.

In this episode of the Agency Blueprint podcast, we discuss actionable strategies for improving agency profitability without raising client rates. We further discuss the importance of having clean, organized financial statements as the foundation for making informed decisions.

Listen in to learn how to leverage resource management tools to better allocate team resources, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure that every dollar spent contributes to the bottom line.

Key Questions:

• [01:27] What mechanism do you have outside of raising rates that allows for you to be able to achieve higher profitability?
• [08:43] What steps can you take to reduce administrative costs and focus attention on where there’s true impact?
• [09:15] What steps can you take to course-correct underutilized or overworked team members for better profitability and team performance?
• [13:21] When should you consider hiring subcontractors versus maintaining full-time employees to improve profitability?
• [17:08] What are some other challenges or things people should be looking out for when looking to be more efficient?

What You Will Discover:

• [01:50] The importance of having clean and organized financial statements to help identify overspending and make data-driven decisions.
• [03:05] How poor financial visibility can lead to overspending and inefficiencies in your agency’s operations.
• [05:38] Why delivery costs should not exceed 50% of revenue and how to address inefficiencies in your billable team.
• [07:28] How to reduce operational costs by analyzing administrative expenses, office overhead, and sales/marketing budgets.
• [10:05] How resource management tools can help you balance team utilization and improve overall efficiency.
• [12:00] Strategies for addressing underutilized team members, such as combining roles or reallocating responsibilities.
• [13:33] The pros and cons of hiring subcontractors versus maintaining full-time employees to improve profitability.
• [14:56] How to analyze the profitability of individual projects to identify inefficiencies, plus steps to address unprofitable projects.
• [17:13] The importance of conducting regular financial audits to identify unnecessary expenses and improve profitability.
• [18:14] How to implement cost-cutting measures carefully to avoid harming team morale or compromising service quality.

Did you know that proposals are not the primary tool for selling services? A proposal is meant to seal the deal, not sell it, real selling happens long before the proposal is ever presented.

In this episode of the Agency Blueprint podcast, I discuss the science of crafting high-performing proposals and bids. I further break down the critical steps to creating proposals that reinforce trust, articulate value, and ultimately close deals.

Don’t miss this episode to learn how to avoid overloading proposals with unnecessary details or focusing too much on your agency rather than the client!

Key Questions:

• [01:30] How can you ensure your client has "conceptual buy-in" before presenting a proposal?
• [03:26] How do you help clients overcome their disbelief or imposter syndrome to see the possibility of achieving their goals?
• [13:07] What steps can you take to ensure your proposal reflects the client’s background, challenges, and goals?
• [19:20] How can you personalize your proposal to make it visually appealing and easy for the client to understand?

What You Will Discover:

• [01:30] The concept of "conceptual buy-in" and how emotional trust in your abilities is the foundation of a successful proposal.
• [02:40] How to structure pre-proposal conversations to address client pain points, goals, and motivations.
• [03:26] The psychology of sales conversations and how to help clients see a better future by fighting alongside them against their disbelief.
• [05:02] How to guide your client to navigate the gap between their current situation and their desired outcome.
• [06:50] How dumping value into a sales conversation—even with a non-qualified lead—can lead to long-term trust and future business.
• [09:52] The importance of discussing risk factors, likelihood of success, and cost considerations when presenting high-ticket services.
• [11:14] How to tap into the emotional core of your clients by addressing their fears, doubts, and desires in your proposal.
• [12:00] How to preemptively address objections by sharing stories of past clients who overcame similar challenges.
• [13:07] The importance of restating the client’s background, challenges, and goals to demonstrate that you’ve truly listened.
• [14:45] How to create a clear, step-by-step plan that reassures clients of your ability to deliver results.
• [16:18] How to present costs transparently and confidently after addressing all objections and aligning on the value you’ll deliver.
• [17:37] Avoid common mistakes like overloading your proposal with unnecessary details or making it not about the client.
• [19:20] The importance of creating a visually appealing and personalized proposal that stands out and resonates with the client.
• [20:00] Understand the buyer’s decision-making process and how to insert yourself into their research and evaluation phase.